Before plumbing the depths of horror and despair with such films as FAUST and THE LAST LAUGH, F.W. Murnau tested the waters with this moody drama of a storm-bound manor and the grim mystery that lurks within. The foreboding atmosphere and psychological complexity inspired Murnau to delve deeper into the horror genre, which he did the following year, with the immortal vampire tale NOSFERATU (1922).
